Posted
by
Soulskill
on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @03:53PM
from the it'll-send-you-a-text-asking-you-to-look-at-the-road dept.

cartechboy writes "Distracted driving is a large issue, and it's getting worse as we become more entangled with our technology. To help combat this growing problem Volvo is showing off new technology that allows the car to sense when a driver is tired or not paying attention. The system bathes the driver in infrared light that can pick up the driver's position and eye movements. If the driver becomes inattentive or begins to drift off to sleep, it will alert you. Besides the safety aspect of this system, it will also be able to recognize the person sitting behind the wheel, allowing the car to tailor itself to that person's stored preferences. Further, it will be able to adjust the vehicle's exterior lighting in the direction the driver is looking based on the detected eye movement. Volvo's quick to note the system can't photograph the driver. People, the future is coming, and your vehicle is going to be watching you."

Freedom to do stupid things shouldn't involve other people. Without a seatbelt in a collision, you're going to turn into a projectile and smash through the windshield. This means your stupidity contributes to trauma to the emergency responders when they have to literally scrape your bloody carcass off the road.